Sydney's September dining calendar has delivered four significant launches that span the city's geography and price spectrum, from a Vietnamese-Cantonese.
Dining Desk is a contributing writer covering eat-drink and public affairs for The Sydney Times.
Sydney's September dining calendar has delivered four significant launches that span the city's geography and price spectrum, from a Vietnamese-Cantonese fusion house in the CBD to a wood-fired Australian venue in Parramatta.
Lemongrass, a 60-seat Vietnamese-Cantonese restaurant, opened its doors on 1 September at 188 Hay Street in the CBD. The venue is the brainchild of chef Linh Nguyen, who previously ran the acclaimed Momofuku-affiliated Lucky Radish in Surry Hills. Nguyen has pivoted from whole-animal cooking to a lighter, broth-focused menu that bridges Vietnamese pho traditions with Cantonese roast meats. The signature dish is a clarified chicken consomme served with hand-pulled noodles and crispy shallots, priced at $28. A second-floor dining room offers a $55 degustation featuring dishes like charcoal-grilled barramundi with tamarind glaze. According to the NSW Liquor & Gaming licensing register, the venue holds a full liquor licence for on-premises consumption.
Further west, the Inner West has welcomed Bella Terra, a modern Italian restaurant in Newtown that opened on 8 September. Chef Anna Reid, formerly of Sydney's celebrated Esteban, has taken over a former hardware store on Missenden Road. The 45-seat dining room features exposed brick and a hand-built stone oven as its centrepiece. Reid's menu rotates fortnightly, with pastas made in-house daily. The rigatoni with slow-cooked lamb ragu and pecorino sits at $38, while the wood-fired whole fish programme anchors the higher end at $65. The wine list leans heavily on Italian producers, with 200 bottles available by the glass. Bella Terra represents a growing trend of chef-led venues choosing the Inner West over the CBD for lower rents and a more neighbourhood feel. For more on Inner West dining, see Eat & Drink.
The Eastern Suburbs have their own new arrival. Sakura & Co, a Japanese-fusion restaurant in Bondi, opened on 12 September under chef Hiroshi Tanaka. The 35-seat venue sits on the corner of Campbell Parade and Hall Street, offering a counter-seat omakase experience alongside a casual ramen bar. Tanaka spent eight years at Tokyo's Narisawa before relocating to Sydney. The tasting menu runs at $95 per person and includes courses like Hokkaido scallop with yuzu kosho and Wagyu tataki with myoga dressing. The ramen bar offers a $22 classic shoyu broth with house-made noodles. Tanaka's approach blends traditional Japanese technique with Australian produce, sourcing seafood from the Sydney Fish Market and vegetables from the Royal National Park region.
Completing the quartet is The Smokehouse, a wood-fired Australian restaurant that launched on 15 September in Parramatta's Church Street precinct. Head chef Marcus Webb, a former colleague of Peter Gilmore at Quay, has designed a menu built around open-fire cooking. The 50-seat space features a massive brick oven visible from the footpath. Webb's signature is a 48-hour smoked pork shoulder with apple cider vinegar and native pepperberry, priced at $42. The venue also operates a casual takeaway window offering smoked chicken sandwiches and wood-fired flatbreads at under $15. The Smokehouse's arrival in Parramatta signals the growing appetite for premium dining in Western Sydney, where transport links and population growth have accelerated restaurant investment. According to a venue press release from The Smokehouse, the restaurant sources its proteins exclusively from NSW farms within a 200-kilometre radius.
These four venues illustrate the breadth of Sydney's current dining appetite. Lemongrass targets the CBD lunchtime crowd and evening diners seeking affordable luxury at $28 to $55. Bella Terra occupies the mid-range sweet spot at $38 to $65 for the neighbourhood diner. Sakura & Co commands premium pricing at $95 for its omakase experience. The Smokehouse straddles casual and fine dining with its dual-format operation.
The common thread among these openings is a commitment to produce-driven cooking and chef visibility. Each venue places its culinary leader at the centre of the operation, whether through a counter-side omakase, an open kitchen, or a wood-fired oven that anchors the dining room. For more on Sydney's restaurant scene, explore Eat & Drink and Culture & Escapes.
The September intake also reflects a broader pattern in Sydney's hospitality landscape. Licensing data from NSW Liquor & Gaming shows a 12 per cent increase in new restaurant licence applications in the Inner West and Parramatta compared to the same period last year. This shift away from the CBD-only dining model suggests Sydney's restaurant culture is decentralising, with quality venues now viable in suburbs that were once considered peripheral.
Bookings for all four venues are open. Lemongrass and Bella Terra use the Resy platform. Sakura & Co accepts reservations by phone only. The Smokehouse operates its takeaway window without a booking requirement.
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